Early signs of autism can be reversed if babies receive therapy to help their social development

Children are less likely to be diagnosed with autism if their parents participate in video therapy, according to a major study.

Experts hailed the “historic” finding, which suggests that intervening when the brain is still malleable can improve social development.

The therapy, called iBASIS-VIPP, involves filming a child with early signs of spectrum disorder and their parents interacting. Parents then watch the clips with a practitioner to discuss the best ways to help them develop.

British and Australian academics found that infants treated with this approach were two-thirds less likely to be diagnosed with autism by age three.

It improved the social development of young people and their autistic behaviors, such as being sensitive to bright lights and loud noises and repeating themselves.

But that did not reverse the developmental difficulties of children who showed signs of autism in their childhood. However, the researchers said spotting the signs earlier could help them develop.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester and the University of Western Australia, was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Children are usually not diagnosed with autism until they are three years old.

About one in 50 young people fall into the specter.

They may have difficulty making eye contact, understanding how others are feeling, or having a keen interest in certain topics. Young people with autism may also take longer to understand information or repeat things.

Doctors diagnose the disorder by assessing their development, such as when they have started to speak, watching how they interact with others, and reading reports sent by their nursery or school.

Over the course of four years, doctors examined 103 babies in Australia aged nine to 14 months who showed early signs of autism.

In babies, this may include not smiling, making eye contact, or responding to their name.

Fifty babies received 10 sessions of videotherapy in addition to normal care, according to their doctor’s recommendations. The rest received only standard treatment.

In the iBASIS-VIPP sessions, experts helped parents understand their child’s abilities so that they can understand how to help them develop socially.

Experts assessed each child at the start and end of the study and at ages two and three.

Assessments included in-depth examinations of their attention and whether they were responding to the call of their name and different facial expressions.

Babies receiving the additional treatment were 68% less likely to meet diagnostic criteria for autism by age three, according to the results.

And their autism symptoms – which can include the inability to focus on an object when moving and being slow to speak – were 28% less severe.

Children who participated in the trial still have developmental difficulties, but iBASIS-VIPP can support them throughout their early years, experts said.

The results support a smaller-scale trial of video therapy in the UK, which found similar benefits for children. Experts said this gave them more confidence in the “reality of the results.”

Previous autism therapies attempted to replace a child’s developmental difficulties with more “typical” behaviors. But iBASIS-VIPP allows a child to learn in the best way for him, researchers say.

Experts said a participant follow-up study would be “critical” in determining whether therapy has longer-term impacts.

Video therapy is already used in the UK for parents of children under five placed for adoption, to meet their emotional and psychological needs.

Professor Jonathan Green, a child psychiatrist at the University of Manchester, said: “iBASIS-VIPP works with the unique differences of each child.

‘And [it] creates a social environment around the child that helps them learn in the way that is best for them.

“This is the first evidence that a preventive intervention in early childhood could lead to such a significant improvement.”

Professor Green added: “Children who fell below the diagnostic threshold always had developmental difficulties.

“But by working with each child’s differences, rather than trying to counter them, therapy effectively supported their development throughout infancy.

“With this therapy, we provide support before a diagnosis is made – and parents overwhelmingly want it.

“This evidence could have a massive impact on clinical practice and public health – few clinical trials have such potential.”

Professor Andrew Whitehouse, based at the University of Western Australia, said the implications of the findings are “huge”.

He said: “Interventions starting in the first two years of life, when the first signs of developmental difference are seen and the brain is developing rapidly, can have an even greater impact on developmental outcomes later in life. childhood.

“This is a truly historic moment for research in child health.

“Our goal is to understand the strengths and challenges of each child so that we can better support and develop the unique abilities they bring to this world.

“This is an important step forward in what we hope will be an opportunity to develop new clinical models that use very early intervention in babies with early behavioral signs of autism.”